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I Genealogical i 

I History t 

$ of the I 

I BLOSSER I 

I family! 

^ fis Known in America. ^ 

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^ DAYTON. VA.: J> 

^ A. S. KiEFFER & Son, Printers. V 

< 1903. ?: 

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As far back as I, can trace by careful 
inquiry, is that Peter Blosser^ (who I will 
name Peter first, ) came from Switzer- 
land, — place and Province not known 
to me. It is handed down to me. by tra- 
dition, that he became singer and jester 
to some great person or noble-man of 
that country, but in time of war he es- 
caped and went to France, where he 
stayed for awhile, but war coming on in 
France he left that country and came to 
America. August 2Zth. 1739. In ship 
"Snow Betsy," Richard Buden. Com- 
mander, sailed from Rotterdam, Holland 
— last from Deal, — 190 passengers, and 
settled in the state of Pennsylvania, at a 
creek called Gadoris, near Little York in 
York county, where it is supposed he 
married and had sons and daughters born 
unto him. He was also an ordained min- 
ister in the Mennonite Church. In the 
course of time his wife died, and his sons 
becoming somewhat unmanageable, he 
said he would get them a cross step- 
mother, — so marrying for his second wife 
a Miss Knicely. who was sure enough a 

5|(The name Blosser was originally spelled Blaser from 
the german Blaser. 



cross wife, on whose account he had to 
give up his ministry, (he at one time 
owned two farms, but lost the greater 
Dart of them, ) and her step-children 
scarcely being able to live with her left 
the parental roof as they became of age. 
and went to Virginia, and settled in 
Page county near Stony-man near the 
Blue-Ridge. 

The following are the names of his 
children by his first wife who came to 
Virginia: 

Barbara, was married to Daniel Hershberger. 

Francis, was married to Solomon Huddle. 

Elizabeth, was married to Jacob Bear. 

Anna, was married to Abraham Hade. 

Susanna, not married. ^^ >' 

Magdalene, not married. 

Peter, was married to Magdaline Bear. \' 

Jacob, was married to -: - - Beery, \^.'' 
Abraham, not known to whom married. '^ 
Tobias, not known to whom married. 

Peter Blosser. second, son of Peter 
first, was born in Pennsylvania. March 
19th, 1752. and having determined to 
leave home as stated before: he packed 
all his property in a bag, having an open- 
, ing in the middle on the order of saddle 
pockets, and bidding adieu to his native 
state, he started for Virginia where he 
arrived, and about the year 1776. was 
married to Magdalene daughter of 31as- 
tius Bear, by whom he had eight children 
born as follows : 



Barbary. Februarys. 1777. Married 
David Burkholder. 

Jacob. April 16. 1778. Married 
Magdalene Shank. 

John. June 5. 1780. Married Bar- 
bara Kagey. 

Abrahann. April. 5. 1782. Died single. 

Anna. Oct. 27. 178o. Died single. 

Peter. Feb. 3. 1787. Married Anna 
Bear. 

David, Feb. 28. 1789. Died single. 

Jonas. July K . 1791. Married Mar- 
garet Burkholder. 

The foregoing dates of births, copied 
fronn a slip of paper written in the Ger- 
man languige by their father, which were 
nice and legibly written. 

Magdalene's father. -Blastius Bear, 
was born in Germany, he ran off from, 
his mother and sister while they were in 
the woods gather;ng mushrooms to eat. 
t they being very poor and scarcely, hav- 
ing anything to eat) and he hired himself 
as stage driver.^ On December 3, 1740. 
he came to America on the ship "Robert 
and Alice." which sailed from Rotterdam. 

Peter and his wife were both very 
poor, and being married in the beginning 
of the Revolutionary war, had a very 
hard time of making a living. He was a 
member of the Mennonite Church which 
advocates the non-resistant doctnne as 



)|(He never after saw his mother or sister. 



taught by our blessed Lord and Savior 
to keep from shedding the blood of his 
fellow-inan, he had to hide and work as 
best he could to ma^e a living. 

He was a wheel-wright by trade, 
and made spinning-wheels, which were 
scarce, and people came across the Blue 
Ridge to get them. Money was so very 
scarce thai he did not get to see his pock- 
et-book sometin es for more than a year, 
not having anything to put into it. But, 
by hard labor and strict economy they 
were enabled to purchase a farm, but the 
country being new. and the land some- 
what sterile, they still had hard work to 
clear their land and make a living. They 
would put bells on their horses and turn 
them out in the woods to pasture at night. 
Then, very early in the morning, before 
day. the father would get the boys up and 
they together would go out in the dark to 
find the horses. 

When Jacob and John became of age 
they went to Rockingham County, Vir- 
ginia, where they married. Jacob mar- 
ried his wife near Trissel's Church, in 
what is known as the brush country. 

John married his wife near New Mar- 
ket. They bought a farm about three - 
fourths of a mile below Cootes' Store in 
Brock's Gap where they lived for awhile 
The other children becoming of age 
Peter and Magdalene disposed of their 



farm, and giving everything over to their 
children they came to Rockingham Coun- 
ty. Va.. about the year 1815. 

Jocob and John also sold all their 
lands, and all the brothers together 
bought lands on the Warm Springs turn- 
pike, about two and a half miles south- 
west of Harrisonburg. 

Jacob. John, and Abraham together 
bought the Harrison farm, and all six 
of the brothers together bought the Whit- 
more farm. Peter. David, and Jonas 
lived on the Whitmore farm, and their 
parents lived with them and we suppose 
their mother did the house work for 
them. 

About the year 1818. some of the 
brothers became dissatisfied, so they 
concluded to divide the Whitmore farm. 
Peter. David, and Jonas took the North 
end of the farm, while the other three 
brothers took the South. 

About the year 1 827. John sold his 
interest in the farm to Jacob and Abra- 
ham, and moved to Mahoning County. 
Ohio, where he lived until Octcber 4th. 
1864. when he died in the 85th year of 
his age. 

After buying their brother's interest 
Jacob and Abraham divided the farm. 
Abraham took the west end of the farm 
which is at present. 1887 owned by 
Emanuel Cromer, and Jacob the east 



end. Jacob lived on his farm until Oc- 
tober 13th, 1834, when he died of a 
fever in his 57th year, and was buried 
in the Blosser grave-yard. 

Abraham lived on his farm until the 
fall of 1864 when everything was burnt 
by the Federal soldiers: he then went to 
John G. Heatwole's where he died Feb- 
ruary 14th. 1868. in his 86th year, and 
was hurried in the Blosser grave-yard 
which was on his farm. 

Anna, his sister, had been living with, 
and keeping house for him until the 
spring of February 16th, 1864, when 
she died in her 79th year, and was 
buried in the Blosser grave-yard. 

When the Whitmore farm was divided 
the buildings fell to the three brothers, 
on the soutn, and the other three brothers 
then built on their part of the farm and 
moved there, and their parents with 
them. — their mother still doing the house 
work for them. Peter then marrying, 
they divided off one- third, his interest on 
the west side of the farm, the same is 
at present. 1888, owned by John Blos- 
ser, son of Jonas Blosser. Peter then 
built a house on the east side of his farm 
and lived there until 1825 when he sold 
to his brothers, David and Jonas, and 
moved to Mahoning county, Ohio, where 
he lived until October 5th, 1872. when 
he died in the 86th year of his age. He 
went to Ohio two years before his 



8 



brother John. About this tiiTie Jonas 
married and his father and mo:her tjioved 
into the house which Peter had built 
where they lived about seven years '.ak 
ing care of themselves, the children pro 
viding for them. Their father then 
becoming unable to walk from the effects 
of rhuematism,. they moved to their son. 
Abraham, in the old Whitmore building 
where they lived until they died. Peter 
died of phthisic as did his father before 
him. April 7th. 1834. aged 85 years and 
] 8 days, and his wife. Magdalene. Jul\ 
10th. 1843. aged 92 years 9 months, 
and were both buried in the Blosser 
grave-yard. 









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